Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro
de la Prensa-Basm Özeti
Oct 8, 2002 By ROBERTWIELAARD Associated Press
Turkey Must Wait for EU Membership
BRUSSELS,Belgium (AP) - While the European Union (news - web sites) prepares to opens its doors to 10 eastern neighbors,
Turkey will be told it has to wait longer Wednesday when the European Union head office unveils its final reports on
the candidates.
Forty years after becoming an associate EU member, Turkey remains the EU's most problematic candidate. The
Commission does not recommend a date for starting membership talks.
EU spokesman Jean-Cristophe Filori said Friday the EU welcomed recent reforms Turkey but added, "There are still problems"
with Turkish membership. The EU Commission's draft report on Turkey cites torture of prisoners, inhuman jail
conditions and urges Ankara to impose stronger civilian controlover the armed forces.
The Europeans face American pressure to open up to the Turks, at a time when Washington needs NATO (news - web
sites)-member Turkey as a key Muslim ally in the war on terrorism.
Turkish membership is "in the strategic interests of the United States, the EU and Turkey," a Brussels-based U.S. diplomat
who monitors EU affairs said on condition of anonymity. "Webelieve Turkey's future is in Europe."
On Tuesday, Turkey's top court rejected a petition from nationalist lawmakers to suspend implementation
Kurds minority rights and abolishing the death penalty - crucial reforms for Turkey's bid to join the EU.
of laws granting
Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal on Tuesday summoned the Danish, German, British and French
ambassadors to express his country's "discomfort" with European doubts about the human rights situation.
Labor Minister Nejat Arseven, whose center-right party supports close ties withthe
issue.
EU, said they were dealing with the
"The human rights issue isn't one that can be solved in a day or two," he said. "But Turkey has shown its dedication to this
issue in a very clear way." As part of a final update on the performance of all13 EU candidates,theEuropean Commission
(news - web sites) will commend Turkey for recent economic, financial and political reforms, yet make clear much remains
to be done.
It seemed unlikely EU leaders - who meet in mid-December to invite Cyprus, Malta and eight East European nations into
their clubin 2004 - will set a date for talks with Turkey.
To meet EU norms, Turkey in August granted language rights to minorities and abolished the-death penalty. Last February,
after a severe financial crisis, Turkey embarked on economic reforms backed by a massive International Monetary Fund
(news - web sites) aid package.
New York-based Human Rights Watch, this week, lauded Turkey for abolishing the death penalty and boosting minority
language and broadcasting'rights.
However, it said, more was needed in refugee protection, ending torture and "support for the return of the hundreds of
thousands of people displaced during the IS-year conflict between government security -forces and the armed Kurdish
Workers' Party (PKK)."The EU now gives Turkey $172 million a year in "pre-accession" aidto help judicial reforms, small
businesses and modernizing the country's civil service. The European Commission is recommending EU governments
increase that aid furth~r
EU-Turkish relations have long gone through ups and downs.
,"
Although 96 percent of Turkey lies in Asia and is overwhelmirtgly Muslim, the EU considers it a European nation. Turkey
became an "associate member" in 1963. It formally applied för membership in 1987 but was turned down along with
Morocco which also applied at the time.
In 1999,the EU leaders formally declared Turkey a candidate but held off on negotiations while it opened talks the 10 other
neighbors.
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